NOVEL NEXT Chapter 527: Undercurrents Surge
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As soon as the Sword Dynasty's astronomical bounty was announced,
it swept across the entire Sword Dynasty at the fastest speed, even reaching the neighboring Great Qian Dynasty, Great Sui Dynasty, and Dongfang Dynasty. The news spread like a plague through the four great dynasties.
Instantly,
countless powerful figures grew restless and converged on the Sword Dynasty.
Among them, the most outstanding were the high and mighty experts from sects within the Sword Dynasty.
Compared to the ten major sects standing side by side in the Great Qian Dynasty, the Sword Dynasty only had four major sects: Chongshan Shaoyuan Temple, Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect, the Sect of the Five Pecks of Rice, and Guiyuan Sect.
These four major sects were the most powerful in the Sword Dynasty and were also loyal supporters of the royal family.
In the Sword Dynasty, the imperial power held supreme authority!
Within Chongshan Shaoyuan Temple,
a group of monks who typically focused on their vegetarian meals and Buddhist scriptures were now sharpening their knives eagerly, their eyes shining brightly, "We never expected that apart from Xiao Tianjiao, the Great Qian Dynasty has produced another Xiao Yi. This man is a true devil. As we monks seek to enlighten all beings, how can we allow such a devil to wreak havoc in the world?"
"If I don't enter hell, who will? As such a devil, he must be eradicated by our Chongshan Shaoyuan Temple!"
A bald, expressionless senior monk, looking at eighteen young experts with majestic Buddha-like appearances and profound understanding of Buddhist Law, said solemnly, "Xiao Yi is the demon among demons. Your main mission there is to vanquish evil and protect the path, to promote our profound Buddhist teachings. As for the bounties... Forget them, wealth is the root of all evil. After the demon is dealt with, take those rewards back with you and use Buddhist Law for their salvation..."
"Master, rest assured, we vowed to defend the glory of the Buddhist faith unto death!"
The eighteen spirited monks chanted scriptures and took off, tearing through the sky.
Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect.
This sect is best at excavating others' graves to steal lost secret manuals and various accompanying treasures. It has allowed the Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect to possess profound foundations, including many ancient weapons from Ancient Times, which were incredibly powerful.
The two strongest individuals of each generation within the Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect would be honored with the names 'Heaven Southern' and 'Big Dipper'.
Ye Tiannan. Chen Beidou.
These two were the strongest geniuses of this generation in the Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect.
Ye Tiannan was alone, carrying a purple-gold coffin on his back, brimming with an aura of death.
Chen Beidou was followed by hundreds of strong warriors, with a dark long staff on his back, his face wax-yellow, as if chronically ill.
Before the two of them,
a venerable old man with white hair and a saintly aura said faintly, "You two have always been competing without clear superiority. This time, we shall see who can slay Xiao Yi and bring back those bounties. Whoever succeeds shall take charge of the Heaven Southern Big Dipper Sect!"
"Sect Leader, rest assured, that position of Sect Leader will undoubtedly be mine!" Ye Tiannan stated coldly.
Chen Beidou laughed sinisterly, "It remains to be seen who the deer will fall to!"
Meanwhile,
powerful figures from the Sect of the Five Pecks of Rice and the Guiyuan Sect had also begun their movements.
All under heaven go where profits lie.
Under the stimulus of the astronomical bounty, not only were the warriors of the Sword Dynasty, Great Sui Dynasty, and Great Qin Dynasty agitated, but even many strong individuals from the Great Qian Dynasty were filled with Greed, wishing to proceed to the Sword Dynasty to track down and kill Xiao Yi.
Atop the Golden Throne Hall,
Yang Ling was filled with anxiety and spoke urgently, "Father Emperor, Xiao Yi has made significant contributions to our Great Qian Dynasty, yet now he is desperately hunted in the Sword Dynasty with a tremendous bounty on his head. Surrounded by dangers, facing an attack from all sides, I implore Father Emperor to grant me permission to lead an army to the Sword Dynasty and rescue Xiao Yi..."
"What use would your going be?"
Yang Kun stepped forward immediately, saluting toward Emperor Qian, "Father Emperor, chaos is brewing in the Sword Dynasty, and the warriors from the surrounding four great dynasties are all rushing there. Your son believes we should first send an army to take control of the Southern Ice City to prevent any Sword Dynasty counterattack. At the same time, I have already proposed to our Sect Leader that the Tianjian Sect lead the ten major sects' experts to the Sword Dynasty to meet with Xiao Yi, ensuring that we bring this immortal hero back to our dynasty!"
Yang Ling: "..."
Qi: "..."
Everyone was looking at Yang Kun with a bewildered expression.
Was this the same vindictive Crown Prince they knew?
Didn't Xiao Yi have a feud with him?
You'd expect him to kick a man when he's down, and yet now he's actively proposing to rescue him?
"Approved!"
Emperor Qian, too, looked at Yang Kun in surprise and after contemplating for a moment, he instructed, "My son, Xiao Yi is a pillar of our Great Qian Dynasty. We must not err in this mission to rescue him from the Sword Dynasty!"
Yang Kun bowed respectfully, "Father Emperor, rest assured, I will bring Xiao Yi back in one piece!"
Emperor Qian nodded and asked, "Do you have any other requests, my son?"
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Yang Kun said, "Father Emperor, searching for someone within the Sword Dynasty is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Child hopes Father Emperor can temporarily entrust Blood Shadow Tower to this child, to facilitate the search for Xiao Yi's whereabouts!"
"Blood Shadow Tower?"
Emperor Qian furrowed his brow. Blood Shadow Tower had been established by Yang Yuhuan himself. Now that Yang Yuhuan had entered seclusion to break through to the Nine Nirvana realm, having buried his past feuds with Emperor Qian, he had transferred control of the Blood Shadow Tower to him.
Emperor Qian hesitated for a moment, then said, "I understand. Later on, I will have someone send the token for Blood Shadow Tower to you!"
"Thank you, Father Emperor!"
Yang Kun's mouth curled up, rippling with a resplendent smile.
"Mmm!"
Emperor Qian yawned, his expression slightly weary, and waved his hand at Qi.
Qi immediately called out in a loud voice, "Court is dismissed!"
No one noticed.
As Emperor Qian yawned, Yang Kun's drooping mouth corners lifted ever so slightly, revealing a trace of a chill, subtle curve.
Outside the Golden Throne Hall.
Yang Ling stopped Yang Kun and asked in a deep voice, "Imperial Brother, are you truly going to rescue Xiao Yi?"
"Little Imperial Brother, what are you talking about? Xiao Yi is a great hero of the Great Qian Dynasty. Could I, your brother, possibly frame a loyal and good servant?"
Yang Kun looked at Yang Ling playfully, patted his shoulder, and said leisurely, "Little Imperial Brother, just stay at home and wait. I will go to the Tianjian Sect and request the assistance of our senior brothers. I believe they will surely bring Xiao Yi back safe and sound!"
As he spoke the words "safe and sound," Yang Kun almost gritted his teeth as he enunciated each word deliberately.
The hint of murderous intent in his words caused Yang Ling's complexion to change slightly.
Staring at the departing figure of Yang Kun, Yang Ling clenched his teeth, and a look of resolution flashed in his eyes: "Yang Kun definitely does not have good intentions—there must be deceit. The mission to rescue Xiao Yi cannot rely on him... "
Upon this thought.
Yang Ling left the palace and sprinted towards the former Shanhe Martial Arts Academy, now known as Xiaoshanhe Institute.
…
As the four great dynasties were plunged into uproar and turmoil caused by the sky-high bounty.
Xiao Yi and his companions were already heading north.
Their destination was Fengyue City.
This city was the southernmost city of the Sword Dynasty, excluding the Southern Ice City. The population numbered more than three million, and the city lord was a seventh-level Dharma Manifestation Realm master commanding an army of fifty thousand soldiers to guard this city.
Outside the city.
Xiao Yi, now in black robes and with his aura thicker than before, had already got wind of the sky-high bounty.
After his cultivation period in the Southern Ice City, and with the help of the enhancement from the Mysterious Lifespan Cauldron, his cultivation level had risen to the fourth level of the Dharma Manifestation Realm, and the count of God Sealing Seeds inside him had reached twenty-one million.
"Chairman, there is a bounty on you everywhere, and Fengyue City is also flooded with many strong masters. What do you think..." Liu Yi returned from gathering intelligence in the city and asked in a grave voice.
Xiao Yi squinted his eyes.
He was well aware of the bounty on his head and knew that it was worth its weight in gold.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly.
A cold gleam passed through Xiao Yi's eyes: "It's not enough, still not enough!"
"Not enough?"
"What's not enough?"
Xiao Yi cracked a smile, and said coldly, "We haven't caused enough trouble... What do you think, if I were to appear in the Imperial City myself, would the Sword Emperor personally hand the bounty to us?"
Liu Yi: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
Gulp!
Liu Yi swallowed hard and chuckled dryly, "Chairman, you... you're joking, right?"
"Joking?"
Xiao Yi just smiled noncommittally and looked towards the north, the direction of the Sword Dynasty's Imperial City, and said somberly, "Sword Dynasty... Xiao Yi is coming!"
Little did the Sword Emperor know, this sky-high bounty he offered would bring an unimaginable catastrophe upon the Sword Dynasty...